Van der Avoird Flower Bulbs
With about 14 permanent employees, plus around 30 seasonal workers, calm in the shed is just as important as capacity. “Our people need to be able to monitor and adjust the machines. Forklift movements and hustle and bustle compromise focus and product quality. Calm surroundings result in better bulbs.” This was our main requirement in the search for new machines for emptying, turning and processing the bulb boxes.
The ambition
Lily cultivation has become more demanding. New regulations, stricter requirements for chemicals, the shift to organic products and more sustainable cultivation techniques put a lot of pressure on the growers. The industry is changing rapidly, and no one knows what the lily market will look like in ten years’ time. Koos wants to be prepared for this: “If things become more difficult for us in the future, we need to be able to adapt. That’s why we invested in VHM machines that not only ease our workload today but could also be easily used for arable crops.”
Their flexibility, combined with gentle handling of the product, was essential for Van der Avoird. When the machinery had to be renewed, he therefore opted for a versatile system. Koos explains: “We didn’t want dedicated bulb machines that can only do one thing, but a modular VHM system that adapts to the seasons, to future crops and to new requirements of the company itself.”
The challenge
Tulip bulbs are much more vulnerable than lily bulbs. “Lily bulbs still have some protection from their roots, but tulips are very easily damaged,” says Koos. “Minimal drop heights, gentle transitions and an even flow are therefore crucial. The old workflow required a lot of manual labour and still resulted in minor damage more often. I also wanted to reduce forklift traffic to gain some peace and quiet during the sorting process. I was looking for a smart production line that would automate error-prone steps without complicating the process.
“Service is close, committed and fast. That’s really important when there are 45 people waiting in the shed.”
About Van der Avoird Flower Bulbs
Van der Avoird is a family business that started in the Noordoostpolder and has been based in Lemmer since the late 1970s. The company grows tulips and lilies on sandy soil and also processes a small proportion of arable crops, such as seed onions. Besides the 14 permanent employees, up to 30 seasonal workers help during the season with harvesting, drying, sorting, and processing the bulbs. Van der Avoird focuses on the highest product quality and future-proof cultivation methods.
The solution
Van der Avoird invested in two new VHM lines. The Semi-Automatic EvenFlowTipr for gentle unloading of lilies and the Semi-Automatic Turnr + RollCleanr for turning, mixing, and summer unloading of bulb crates. Together, the VHM modules now form the heart of the crate logistics system. The EvenFlow technology, in which the hopper moves along with the product flow, plays a key role. Koos: “We’re going to see that descending EvenFlow system much more often in bulb cultivation in the future. The even product flow is truly a godsend. The short roller cleaner with scrapers is also a perfect fit for the sector.”
Van der Avoird uses the Semi-Automatic Turnr + RollCleanr for bulbs harvested from nets. The number of rotations is easily adjustable; often, a single rotation is sufficient to loosen the clumps, after which the bulbs are immediately emptied into the hopper.
Koos explains: “Behind the Turnr there is a set of rollers with scrapers underneath. This keeps the rollers clean, whether the product is wet or dry. With dry product, the skins stay on the bulbs, partly because the rollers have a smaller diameter than standard solutions.”
“The Turnr is also very flexible,” he continues. “We can easily disconnect it from the bunker and use it for turning lily planting material for the cooking process and for packing scales into large boxes.”
Koos sees the modular design of the system as a major strength. “VHM builds machines for arable farming; more robust than typical bulb-growing machines. If you build solid machines for potatoes and onions, they can easily handle bulbs,” he says. “And the great thing is: we can move parts, combine them and use them seasonally. Plug & play. That makes you think ahead; you start to see new applications, simply because it’s possible.”
The Result
The combination of EvenFlow and Turnr ensures a consistent product flow at Van der Avoird and a process that can easily be adapted to the season and the product. Koos: “Behind the Turnr there is a set of rollers with scrapers underneath. This keeps the rollers clean, whether the product is wet or dry. With dry product, the skins remain on the bulbs, partly due to the smaller diameter of the rollers compared to standard solutions.”
“The Turnr is also very flexible,” he continues. “We can easily disconnect it from the bunker and use it for turning lily planting material for the cooking process and for packing scales into large boxes.”
Koos sees the modular design of the system as a major strength. “VHM builds machines for arable farming; more robust than typical bulb-growing machines. If you build solid machines for potatoes and onions, they can easily handle bulbs,” he says. “And the great thing is: we can move parts, combine them and use them seasonally. Plug & play. That makes you think ahead; you start to see new applications, simply because it’s possible.”
We use the following machines:
